Regional Finance Controller

Diakonia is a Swedish international development organization with the overall goal to change unfair political, economic, social and cultural structures that generate poverty, inequality, oppression and violence. Diakonia works with the most vulnerable people, local partners and other strategic actors for the fulfilment of the right of all people to live a life in dignity - irrespective of age, class, disability, ethnicity, gender, nationality, political conviction, religion, or sexual orientation and identity.

Diakonia has about 400 partner organizations in 25 countries. In Sub-Saharan Africa Diakonia has country offices in Mozambique, DRC, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Kenya, Somalia, Mali and Burkina Faso with the Regional Office in Nairobi Kenya. 

Overall Job Purpose

Provide technical support and financial management leadership to a portfolio of country offices in order to ensure effective development and implementation of country financial work plans and budgets. Also ensure transparent and efficient utilization of financial resources in compliance with approved financial policies and procedures as well as donor requirements

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Financial Management and Reporting

·   Support assigned country offices in developing and implementing financial resource management work plans and budgets to ensure compliance with approved financial policies and procedures

·   Develop tools to provide guidance on the financial management of country office and finance teams

·   Ensure strict adherence and compliance to financial control systems, policies and procedures within country offices

·   Receive and assess country financial reports and ensure compliance with grant agreements and Diakonia’s PME hand book requirements

·   Perform quality reviews and analysis of country work plans and budgets, monthly, quarterly and annual financial reports of assigned country offices to ensure compliance

·   Provide ongoing feedback to country finance and grant compliance teams to improve effectiveness in financial controls and reporting

·   Provide reports on assigned country offices to the regional manager/deputy regional manager regarding issues and trends, highlighting areas of risk and non-compliance

·  Identify and advice on  preventive and corrective actions to address financial irregularities

·  Monitor the preparation and submission of the regional finance and administration compliance reporting highlighting challenges and risks

·   Participate in the capacity strengthening of country office finance and grant compliance teams, to ensure effective and efficient implementation of financial programme activities

·   Provide leadership in the development and implementation of internal organizational capacity assessment tools within country offices

·   Provide technical support to country offices on PayIT and recommend improvements of the system

·   Monitor preparation and implementation of the regional operational budget consisting of country office budgets ensuring the process is participative involving all parties

Audit and Risk Management

·   Contribute to risk preparedness, which involves planning, analysis and mitigation and make necessary recommendations

·   Support preparation for audit process and ensure a complete audit trail is in place to facilitate audits within assigned country offices

·    Monitor implementation and resolution of  audit findings and recommendations for assigned country offices

·   Monitor submission of statutory audit in compliance to assigned country legislation

·   Monitor the uploading of county office audit reports and management letters and action plans to FixIT

Administration & Procurement

·   Monitor implementation of secure administrative services within assigned country offices on the basis of established guidelines and steering documents

·   Monitor procurement processes to ensure compliance with approved financial procedures for expenditure, such as cheque requests, purchase orders, justification memos

·   Monitor to ensure that the office legal registration is up to date

Grant Management

·   Review the preparation of grant budgets for country offices to ensure allocation is in compliance with PME policy guidelines

·   Review and provide quality assurance on grant reporting process by country offices to ensure compliance with donor agreements and international financial reporting standards

·   Provide technical support and training to enable assigned country offices deliver the partner institutional capacity strengthening strategy

Human Resources

·   Participate in the recruitment and selection of finance and administration staff in the region

·   Performs other related duties and functions as requested

Education, Training & Professional Qualifications

Job Competencies & Experience